VW Factory - Germany
Miscellaneous Features Volkswagen Factory Tour Jamie Vondruska 5 November 2001 15 16.
Somewhere along the way, all Volkswagen fans should try visiting Wolfsburg, Germany, headquarters of Volkswagen AG There is little that can prepare you for total immersion in a world of Volkswagens when you arrive From the moment you enter the city of Wolfsburg is practically no car to see that isn ta family member of the Volkswagen brand - Volkswagen are all fans of the brand can feel like they have died and gone to heaven here rare bus split window air-cooled for models with modified Golf IV flared fenders with the New Beetle RSI, it is not all we didn t see in the streets and in employee parking lots.
Nothing can prepare you for the shear size plant or factory grounds cover 8 sq km 3 square miles chimneys of power stations to four signatures tower more than 410 feet in the air The car twin towers 20 stories alongside the delivery of customers Kunden Center Autostadt center are quite a site with each site filled with cars at ground level at the top of the 1 to 6 square kilometers 395 acres of indoor plant installations can easily accommodate all the Principality of Monaco Volkswagen calls this plant a group of factories in a factory mainly decentralized and autonomous part in their organization.
Golf, Golf Variant, Bora, Bora Variant, Lupo and soon the new MPV based Golf V are all built at the Wolfsburg plant design capacity per working day is over 3000 vehicles In addition to this, the Wolfsburg plant manufactures components such as drive shafts, body stampings and for other factories.
What follows in the next pages is a general overview of many areas of the plant Since photography is prohibited in the factory, we are limited to photos that Volkswagen has provided We could easily spend 2-3 days wandering the factory ask many questions and to lead our crazy German hosts in the process instead, we spent 3 hours touring private factory and came away with a new sense of the magnitude of what is immobilization Volkswagen for you, but also the huge amount of money Volkswagen has spent the past 10 years, upgrading almost every piece of equipment what you see here is a small preview of the model used in all plants of the Volkswagen brand worldwide much of the same equipment, methods, work environments, layouts and more are reported on all the group's factories - perfectio rm process and duplicate If your car is built in Mexico, Brazil, or Wolfsburg, there is virtually no difference in the process used to build the vehicle.
Factory tours are available directly in the context of admission to Autostadt visitor center cultural, architectural and historic Volkswagen, we have another story in itself Autostadt in future so on for the tour.
The process all starts with carefully suppliers raw materials considered to provide the best possible sheet and deliveries arrive 24 hours a day Much of all materials and parts in factories come on a fair time so there is very little in the way of storage facilities and raw materials or parts stacked the amount above the sheet only last a few hours and is constantly replenished by the working day of 24 hours.
Volkswagens have characteristics fluid lines, which makes high demands on the dimensional accuracy of the body panels The tool constructions division template and provides the basis for this Specialists in Wolfsburg can turn even the most complex shapes actually with the tools they are building a tool is a form used to create a pattern of a fender for example on gross plate Some of these tools weigh more than 50 tons and have to withstand very demanding and long life cycles of constant pounding in the presses.
Sheet is alive, experts say, which means that the shape of the drawn part after the deep-drawing process is not quite the same as the industry Metal always comes a little after forming years experience, specialized toolmakers know how various factors influence the dimensional accuracy of stampings knowledge of the interaction between nature and materials, sheet thickness and the extent of deformation are all parts of the base high quality in the construction of the body.
Good tool and jig construction is essential to determine the width and how the gaps in the specific panel and how exactly the sheetmetal is formed The press shop Wolfsburg processes about 1500 tons of metal per day All the sheet stock is pretreated in various corrosion processes the material used for the outer body skin is a matte gray light having been galvanized by electrolysis of a particularly fine surface of comparison, a metallic glossy surface indicates that he was treated in the bath melting - also known as galvanizing hot-dip This is a solid material for the floor and the internal parts.
Unwound and punched blanks, the sheet metal is conveyed to the press lines These large press vacuum force capacity and 6,000 tons of pressure to obtain the desired shape of deep drawing is divided into several stages The entire process simultaneously running and low noise inside a machine, the process is controlled by cameras and sent to a central location of a particular importance are the parts of the critical dimensions, for example the floor in the manufacture of the platform ; these parts are manufactured only in Wolfsburg They form the basis of each vehicle body, thereby ensuring high accuracy and quality in all plants are provided.
Above one of the Schuler presses into service in Wolfsburg These presses are state of the art and an important investment from any manufacturer Do not let the picture fool you, this press is over 3 floors high and nearly a football field full length It also goes one floor underground and requires almost 40 feet of solid concrete as a base to protect against vibration and sinking.
Below ground level here, you see close-ups of real tools gray device on top of the blue cursor trays Each of these tools and slider tray is more than 25 feet in length and about 8- 9 feet tall when a tool must be changed only takes 10 minutes the orange doors are open on both sides of the press and the current tool is pushed to one side while the new crept to take its rightful place behind This means the body of tool changes stamped Golf IV Golf V to stamped body can occur in as little as 10 minutes before the Golf IV, these weren t Schuler existing press in Wolfsburg and the tool change took several hours to complete these high-end presses were some of the many huge investments that took place during the 1990s to upgrade the plant.
Below this photo taken above shows a tool used to produce the new Polo column A left side of the rear outer panel This includes the openings of doors and door thresholds model four doors, rear fender flares and third window cut - all pressed into a single unit, the sheet metal is fed into the Schuler press, pressed into a tool like the one below, extracted and then cut and finished taking the rough edges on the workpiece while in the machine - all at a rate of over 450,000 formed sheet metal parts per day from there, they are vertically stacked on carts and taken to the weld zone where they will be fixed to the floor plan and roof supports.
The bodies for the Golf and Jetta Bora here in North America are produced at the Wolfsburg plant on three production lines identical The operating frequency of just under a minute determines the pace of work and transport phases the three lines, which together produce more than 200 units per hour the system of three lines called segmentation allows for greater variability of body Golf and Bora can be produced in direct sequence without loss of time of welding robots and collection tools are designed accordingly as multifunction units.
Another advantage of segmentation is that it provides continuity process in the factory If a line is down for maintenance or adjustment, production can continue unabated on the other two market fluctuations may also be that balanced on the company can respond flexibly to requirements versions dealers popular models are manufactured in greater numbers and production of those less fortunate can be throttled back.
Some 800 million German marks to $ 400 million was paid in the conversion of production to the body shop Golf IV The level of automation has increased to 96 percent, highlighting a process without problems and demanding with little or no reliability issues the same for the fully automated production islands, where robots assemble parts pressed into individual sets these modules are integrated into assembly lines through various processes, more than 4,000 spot welds, weld seams and laser bonding and assembly techniques to give each cold body its high rigidity and strength.
Over 96 percent of the body shop is automated, providing high reliability and tight tolerances both in the construction of the floor plan and the sheet attached to it the above orange robots perform spot welds a Golf the region surrounded by the green curtain is where appropriate laser welding.
Above one of the final stages of the entire body shop before heading to the painting installation manual installation of machinery doors are guided by hand into precise positions to ensure proper alignment After that , front fenders, hood and trunk lid are fixed and drive is sent through the ownership of the plant on a conveyor system to the paint facility.
Primarily designed as a protective coating, paint is just as important in its visual appeal and be more resistant to all forms of attack - UV radiation, heat, rain, snow, frost and even Shards cars and attention to detail so have priority.
In the past, this manufacturing process was characterized by dirt, solvents and paint particles emissions activity today Wolfsburg Painting is defined by clean room technology, low-solvent finishes and washing effective paint mist with a water circulation system as well as water purification and intense recirculation.
Degreasing, pre-treatment, the washing and drying steps are the initial processing steps then follows the photoinitiating by immersion electrolytic below.
All metal joints are then sealed along their seams and folds his absorbing thermoplastic materials are inserted for noise damping In addition to the paint finish and galvanizing, the seal protects against underbody damage resulting possible stone chips and corrosion After the filling layer and the pigmented coat, a transparent topcoat is applied as a final coat protective layer this alone is what gives the glossy finish necessary that you see in the showroom.
All finishing work is done by robots The atomized paint is transferred to an electrostatic field to the body, with low losses in the process, and adheres to the metal after the paint has been applied, an additional internal precaution against corrosion is taken with the hot flooding process patented by Volkswagen cavity wax This protection is used on all models.
Just a few years Wolfsburg paint shop was one of the first in the German automotive industry to introduce water-based products for low-solvent borne and pigmented layers and which significantly reduces pollution of the environment accordingly.
Above electrolytic dip-priming - a new Polo is lowered into the bath electrolytic seed soaking using negative charges to adhere to all parts of the car paint to ensure complete coverage of all exposed metal.
Above robotic sprayers move in fluid motion around the car, in this case applying a base color layer Color changes can occur in less than 5 minutes, and eliminates the need to paint a lot of vehicles a single color, then a second batch in a second color etc etc vehicles can be painted individual colors one after another on the assembly line.
Above, A silver Polo leave the heat curing cabin after final applied color layer.
In final assembly, the painted bodies are filled according to the customer orders in the case of the Golf, the individual motor, equipment and color options are theoretically more than 3 million possible combinations, however, the most realistic and more frequent selection possibilities number only about 300,000 without maximum flexibility oriented products and focused on the process, however, such a variety would not be possible flexibility oriented products is already evident in the development of vehicles the front by example, was designed so that it can accept various motors oriented flexibility on the other process means that the machines needed to manufacture are multifunctional and can be adapted to changing models and versions of equipment.
Golf for example consists of 31 main modules and submodules assembly 54 therefore requires highly organized work processes and standardized interfaces Thus dashboard and front end, all of the undercarriage with the motor, the box speeds and an exhaust system are pre-assembled in parallel in the controlled production sequence, tested and installed as complete modules painted doors are taken of the body and also completed on a separate line While the doors are removed , components, dashboard, seats, carpets and complete interior can be installed at a later point, the doors are returned to the right vehicle with a conveyor system This modular construction process accelerates production and makes it more economical.
The function and the precise interaction of all parts and assembled modules are then tested This also involves a series of tests on the bench, a workout on a special section to test jolts creaking and rattling and a leak test in a spray booth high pressure sealed.
After that, the job is done - the vehicle is taken to the train yard or waiting delivery trucks for local dealers.
Above A dashboard is carefully inserted as a complete unit finished Bora with bundles of cables and already pre-wired professions The barcode table is located under the hood tells workers exactly which components should be installed on this PKW and trim level Each car on the assembly line is individually controlled and constructed in accordance with the uniquely specifications of the car after a model in the left hand spec US lead may be followed by a right-hand drive Japanese model, followed by German model-spec parts arrive at a just -in-time system with the correct specified parts for that particular vehicle at that particular position just minutes from the time they are to be installed It is a sequence of events surprisingly orchestrated.
Above the headline is set in a field of four doors.
Over Marriage - This is the point where the components of the drive train and engine married to the body components of the kinematic chain and engine come from the lower level through the floor as a unit and are inserted into the lower part of the hull of the body in a completely automated process environment.
For most Volkswagens out of the first big trip assembly line takes the form of a rail travel every day, 110 double-decker train cars carrying some 2,400 Golf, Golf Variant, Bora, Bora Variant models Lupo and leave railway freight station at Wolfsburg plant Only a small share of around 90 hauliers cars, mainly for transport to dealers in the region can be hard to credit, but almost all of these new vehicles were produced according to customer specifications or in the case of North America, the VWoA equipment specifications, engine, color, seat covers and many other features are selected by the customer from the wide range of possibilities so while the colors and engine choices reproduce, other combinations are chosen ways that rarely come more than once in a day job It is good to remember that Volkswagen actually built individual personal cars mass sales division runs 11,350 outlets worldwide, with more than 2,800 to Germany alone These dealers coordinate all customer wishes channel these orders correctly, Wolfsburg the sales division operates a high-performance computer network system, which is also linked to the production of data processing system in the factory, from the body-in white scene, a small card with a bar code incorporating data production vehicle control necessary with the wishes of the customer while your Volkswagen customer orders is not yet a reality here in North America, it is possible for the dealer to search the currently available car allowances and those are still in production to see if it matches what you re looking.
If you ever have the chance to visit one of the Volkswagen factories, Don t miss it Tours of the factory in Wolfsburg, Germany are available as part of your admission to Autostadt and are available seven days a week during normal business hours opening shows the scale of what is involved in simply building a car is something you have earned forget and make you think differently about your Volkswagen today investments in technology, production methods, painting and more are all great signs that Volkswagen is committed to the future and trying to build the best cars ever to leave their factories.
Above wheels are installed on Bora wheel and tires come mounted on the assembly line, balanced and ready to install are even more impressive conveyors that offer the right type of wheel and tire for this specific model exactly when required for installation.
Above A Bora sedan left the test booth where the vehicle is placed on a floor with a Dyno VAG tool hooked and run through a series of tests to verify that all electrical systems and engine management systems work properly Each car is on the rollers and tested before leaving the factory.
Just over a small view of the yard in Wolfsburg These trains travel over 2,400 vehicles from Wolfsburg every day.
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